LAKELAND - Despite widespread awareness campaigns and heavy penalties for those who are caught, impaired boating continues to be a serious issue on the waters of Lakeland area lakes, say local enforcement officers.
“People operating vessels on a lake or body of water under the influence is always a concern as there is a significant risk of them causing themselves or someone else to be injured or in distress,” said Chris Clark, the Enforcement Services spokesperson for Lac La Biche County.
Peace officers are part of local checkstops and have taken part in boating enforcement programs, including search and rescue calls involving boats on local lakes. And while it isn’t common for community peace officers to conduct their own boat patrols, if requested by the RCMP, Fish and Wildlife, or Conservation, Clark says they do assist in joint operations.
Across the Lakeland, there are more than 200 lakes within a 200 kilometre radius, drawing local residents and visitors from further afield to the waters of the regino. Clark says the safe rules about impaired boating apply equally to someone camping in the area who brings a large pleasure craft for recreation or a local resident on an inflatable kayak during a day off from work.
Lac La Biche RCMP Const. Jordan Walker says impaired boating is a serious issue, carrying the same importance as impaired driving. He says local RCMP do conduct patrols on area lakes, along with a strong presence of Fish and Wildlife officers — and perhaps because of that, instances of impaired boating aren't a regular ocurrence.
"RCMP do have a patrol boat that is used for both proactive patrols and responding to calls in our detachment area, impaired boating are not normal investigations that we encounter regularly," he said.
Like convictions for drunk driving in a vehicle on the road, fines for a person convicted of operating a boat on the water while impaired by drugs or alcohol can vary, says Walker, adding that convictions also generally include — like they do for vehicle drunk driving penalties — a ban from operating a boat for at least a year.
"Criminal operation while impaired has the same threshold for “motor vehicle” as it does for a “vessel” by capturing both under the common definition of “conveyance”. For this reason, the penalties can be the same," he said.
Also comparable to land-based impaired driving files, anyone on a boat who is found with alcohol can face fines.
"It is unlawful to use ... or consume liquor in a public place, which would include on a boat on a public waterbody," the constable explained. "The average fine for those caught is $120."
Preventative patrols and complaint response
Both Walker and Clark agree that the impairment of a boat operator by alcohol or drugs is not only illegal, it can also endanger boat occupants and others on local water bodies. If a problem does occur on a boat in the middle of a rural lake, a person who is not impaired by drugs or alcohol, who is on a boat that is properly equipped with safety equipment, will be better equipped to deal with the problem while they wait for assistance.
“If there is an incident where help is needed, it isn’t as easy as driving to an accident scene,” Clark said. “First responders must first hook up to their boats and drive to the nearest launch. Then they need to ensure there is a trained boat operator on standby who will deliver them safely to the actual emergency. This can be a very timely procedure.”
Both Walker and Clark also say that officers on lake patrols aren't only looking for impaired boat operators, they are enforcing general safety measures
“When conducting boat patrols, officers do check to ensure that the operator has a valid operator card and all required safety equipment such as life jackets, bailing device, whistle, and so on,” Clark said. “Generally, people do follow the rules. However, there are always some issues that are brought to light.”